HOST (IN HEBREW): In １９４７, in the Judean desert, in the Qumran ruins, occurred one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the ２０th century: the Dead Sea Scrolls.The discovery of these original writings is very significant as it allows us to verify the authenticity of our modern scriptures and see in more detail what was at the base of many beliefs. Our guide is the esteemed Professor Yuval Peleg, the Israeli Antiquities Authority’s head district archaeologist for the Jordan Valley. He is a prominent expert who has made extensive excavations at Qumran over many years.(In English)

Yuval Peleg(m):The meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls, it’s the most ancient document of the Bible, actually, part of the Bible. And maybe there are some connections to ancient Christianity, and for sure how Judaism looked like when the temple still existed in Jerusalem. That’s why it’s so important for us as Jews and for the world. This is the most ancient part of the Bible ever found in archeology.

We are in a very dry area and not much rain. The temperature is stable, almost all the year. And several years ago, we did some exams. In order to preserve the scrolls, we put some equipment inside the caves in order to see if there are changes in the humidity and the temperature inside the caves, and it’s stable all the time. That’s why it is dry, it’s stable temperature. That’s how the scrolls remained for such a long time.